Betrayal
by Briar's EquinoX
Summary: Tortall is at war with Scanra and Tyra. There are rampant deaths, love and betrayal. **COMPLETELY NEW AND REWRITTEN 6 CHAPTERS INSTEAD OF 9 BUT SAME CONTENT** Please R/R!
1. War Council

Chapter 1  
~Council  
  
King Jonathan of Conte chewed his fingernails nervously. It was a bad habit he had acquired in the Immortals War. He had been constantly jumpy back then, never knowing what to expect, when his kingdom was always facing one threat or another. But these had been peaceful times. The fields were green and rich, the harvests were excellent and all of Tortall flourished in its first truly peaceful time in many years. And now the good times appeared to be at and end.   
  
Jon was sitting on a soft opulent chair in the barely used war council chamber. But it felt like he had just been banished to the darkest cavern and forced to sit on a metal stool covered in nails. The furniture was dusty and the air had a dank smell to it, because this room hadn't been used for the last 5 years of his reign. Jon didn't want to be here, he wanted to be spending time with his wife, Thayet and their children at their summer home on the coast near Port Caynn. But his most trusted advisor had opened recieved a scroll declaring open war from Tyra.   
  
When he'd heard the news Jon had almost cried out in surprise. Tyra had been Tortall's ally for ages! He couldn't recall a time when Tortall had ever been at war with Tyra. In fact Tyra and Galla were about the only other kingdoms Tortall hadn't been at war with since the beginning of his reign. With a chuckle Jon realized he could hardly be called The Peacemaker like his father, the late King Roald.   
  
But it was true and know he was sitting with Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, his Champion, Raoul of Goldenlake, the commander of the King's Own, Gareth of Naxen and other important dignitaries. They were poring over a map of the kingdom and its neighbours, deciding a strategy. One of the problems was that it was so unbelievable that Tyra would declare war that no one was sure whether it was a trick or whether it was real. If any nation would have declared open war, they would have expected Scanra or the Copper Isles. Neverthless it was important to ready the nation's defenses and make sure the King's Own and Queen's Riders were in tip-top shape.  
  
Alanna spoke hotly. "Why can't we just go and lead a force of riders down to Tyra and attack them? They'd obviously attack us if they had the chance. And besides, we have a much larger navy and army then them. They're just a tiny kingdom."  
  
Jon took a deep breath to keep his cool. He had once loved Alanna, and they were still close friends, but she could be so annoying sometimes! She had the tendency to make impulsive decisions without thinking things through but as a king, Jon had learned you had to carefully weigh every option.   
  
"We can't just go and lay siege to their capital city. Although we have recieved a declaration of war, they haven't attakced yet. If we attacked now we'd be attacking for no reason without provocation. I've already agreed to put all navy ships on the lookout for invaders and increase Rider patrols along the borders. We'll keep on a defensive stance and if they try anything, we'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it."  
  
Alanna's eyes flashed dangerously and glittered like harsh black opals. "Fine" she said with an angry forced calmness. "This is going to be just like the war with Tusaine when we were squires! They'll win against us on every front and we'll just be defending ourselves, never taking the initiative to fight back for the glory of Tortall. And I must point out, that I think we should at least form a plan of what to do if or when they do attack us."  
  
"I agree." Jon said. Alanna looked a little surprised at his reaction, but there was no way she was going to back down on her stance. She was all for fighting in what she believed in.  
  
"If they attack us, then we will secure our borders and fight battles we're sure we can win without losing too many knights. You have to remember that every soldier and mage is very valuable. We lost a third of our army to the Immortals War and we're just starting to get back what we lost from new pages and squires" Jon continued.  
  
"All right then" said the Lioness. Everywhere around the table there were murmurings of agreement. Raoul left to get the Riders all packed up.  
  
"Please send a message to my wife at Port Caynn telling her to bring her riding gear and come to Corus immediately. She will lead a squad of Queen's Own down to the Tyran border to discover what's going on and guard it. Oh, and bring some maids in here. It's filthy". Jon said with great satisfaction. One of the great things about being King of Tortall was that you could order people around. 


	2. Messages

Chapter 2   
~Messages  
  
Thayet was walking down the stairs of her family's summer home in Port Caynn on a beautiful sunny morning. It had a beautiful view of the ocean and salty sea breezes billowed inwards giving the home a cozy, lived-in smell.   
  
Thayet loved summer. There weren't any pesky nobles she had to be polite to or the perfection that had to be met everyday of court life. After all, she was the Queen of Tortall. In the summer, she could just relax. She didn't have to get dressed up and attend social dinners, she could just be with her family. That's what she had been doing until Jon had gotten called to an emergency council meeting. She hadn't heard from him yet.  
  
At that moment, a messenger walked in with a rolled up piece of parchment to deliver.  
  
"From your husband, the King, my lady" the deliveryman said. Thayet gave him a gold noble for his quick delivery.  
  
She tore off the wax seal of the royal family that sealed the parchment closed. She scrolled down the letter with her finger taking it all in quickly. She was needed in Corus! There had been a threat to Tortall and she was to lead three groups of Queen's Riders down to the Tyran border. Thayet immediately and calmy ran up the stairs and instructed her maids to gather up some breeches and other casual clothes for the journey. She also gave the children's governesses and training masters orders about what would happen while she was gone.  
  
Unlike some court ladies, Thayet looked dazzlingly beautiful without having to sit in a perfumed bath all day and worry about getting dirt under her fingernails. She was a very practical woman who was level-headed and intelligent. She wasted no time in saddling her favourite mare Juniper and riding off with a company of Rider's who had been guarding the house.   
  
By midday, her brow was sweaty from riding so hard but she could see Balor's Needle and the spires of all the temples and the palace in the distance. Although, she loved relaxing at home, she also loved adventure and being in command. The riders ate lunch by a cool stream and let the horses drink and have a rest before they set off again.  
  
In mere minutes after arriving and conferencing with Jon Thayet was already at the barracks organizing the equipment, horses and people who would be going with the patrollers down along the coast to Tyra. It wasn't really an attack, just a military ride to gather information about what to expect.  
  
Early in the morning, before the sun had risen Thayet and her riders were already riding steadily away from Corus. The moon shone down on their backs and lit up the whole excursion beautifully in the twilight. Small waves lapped peacefully at the seashore. They were following the coast down to avoid the drought that was happening inland. The horses' hooves were muffled by the dew on the grass and the leafy plants.   
  
Everyone was just starting to relax when the lead sentries sent out ahead came back breathlessly to report that a Scanran pirate ship had been sighted farther up the coast. The thugs were preparing to disembark and attack a seaside village! 


	3. Nothingness

Betrayal   
Chapter 3 ~ Nothingness  
  
The Queen's Rider group quickly and silently packed up their things mounted their horses and grabbed any weapons they might need. The only sound was the drumming of owl wings in the violet sky, cicadas chirping musically and the distant sound of waves breaking on the shore of the sea.   
  
Far off, a group of about 50 Scanran pirates slowly piloted their small lifeboat to shore. They would leave their large vessel anchored a little ways off the coast so it wouldn't scrape the bottom of these shores. The area was famous for wrecked ships. Razorlike rocks jutted dangerously out of the bottom and sandbars seemed to appear out of nowhere. The steersmen was being very diligent and careful not to run into any of these obstacles. All of the crew were under strict orders to remain silent. They didn't any of those blasted Tortallans to hear them coming. When they arrived on shore they would be swift and quiet and attack under the dark of night. By dawn, they would be gone without leaving a trace, except for burning homes, looted villages and broken hearts.  
  
Their plan was to attack a small seaside village called Ayersby. It was home mostly to the working class. Farmers, fisherman and shopkeepers, although there were a few wealthy merchants who specialized in the trade of pearls, which grew in abundance on these treacherous shores. That was where the main bounty would come from, although some commoners would be useful to bring back as slaves to sell on the black market on the Copper Isles or Carthak. The last thing these Scanran pirates expected was to come face too face with the renowned Tortallan police group the Queen's Own. Their luck must have run out that night because they just happened to meet up with the group of Riders headed by Queen Thayet herself.  
  
In fact, they were doing such a good job of rowing their craft in quietly, they might have escaped down the coastline on foot without being detected until it was too late if it weren't for a mighty winged Albatross that decided to empty its bowels on one of the members of the crew. The white sticky mess landed right on his eyes and he screamed out in fear, digust and anger.   
  
The sound echoed off the rocky bluffs and their wooden ship anchored out in the bay to produce a high pitched shrieking that would have woken the dead. The other thugs quickly tried to muffle his mouth and stop the sound but it was too late. The Riders had heard the outcry and were now pouring forth from farther along the beach with their swords drawn and bows outstretched in their hounds. The galloping destriers with foam flying form their mouths must have been quite a sight for the pirates. They panicked and some tried to row back out to sea, while the other half drew their weapons and tried to jump out of the boat to get at the Tortallans.  
  
The result was a boat that was rocking sideways with Scanrans struggling to make it go two ways at once, which of course could not happen. It flipped over and their were a lot of swearing and squealing noises coming from the overturned boat.   
  
The Scanrans would have either drowned or been beaten mercilessly by the riders if it hadn't been for their leader who took charge of the situation. He yelled coarsely at them with what were unmistakable threats and pretty soon pirates started running form underneath the boat into the shallows and then up onto the beach with scimitars and axes in their hands.   
  
They were met by an onslaught of perfectly coordinated riders who chopped them down with intricate and elegant but deadly swordswings and shot them with dangerously perfect accuracy. The Scanrans fell with arrows in their throat and knives through their bellies but the riders were suffering losses two. Some big burly Scanrans made a wide chop with their axes that felled rider and horse in one swing of the whistling blade. The riders behind them pushed on by horses behind them ploughed right into the Scanrans and their horses tripped over the bodies of their fallen comrades.  
  
In fact the battle was not really going one way or another and it was starting to look bleak with all the losses on both sides when Thayet had the bright idea to fire a flaming arrow into their boat. The pirates had started to use the overturned craft to their advantage and were retreating under it to escape from arrows and were replenishing their weapons before charging out again. Soon other riders followed Thayet's example and the boat was set ablaze. There was a rush of Scanrans to get out and they pushed and shoved each other violently in their hurry to escape. Many perished under the boat or got burned alive when burning arrows set their clothes ablaze with a dull thunk and a sizzle.   
  
After all the Scanrans were dead the Riders set about healing the wounded on their side. Many had been injured or seriously hurt but luckily, only 5 of 75 had died. People with the gift set broken bones and relieved fiery pain and those without were content to stitch up wounds and run errands for the new nurses. Thayet decided to set up camp to recuperate those who were ill and take a small break from battle. Those who had died would also have a proper military burial.  
  
Although it should have been a glorious occasion since evildoers had been defeated, there were only frowns and grim faces of those who were mourning for their lost friends.  
  
~*~  
  
But the evildoers were not all defeated. The Scanran warlord Maggur Rakhausak watched the fire burning and the tide of the battle turning in favour of the Tortallans through his golden spyglass. Those blasted female warriors! They were really amazing fighters, especially considering they were women! He sighed in annoyance. That was the third patrol of warriors he had lost to Tortall this month. The Scanran campaign to invade Tortall was not off to a good start. But he would have his revenge...  
  
Maggur set the spyglass down on his mahogany desk in the captain's quarters of the stolen Carthaki warship. It was beautiful. The ship was made of teak and it had marvellous silk sails and a stout mast with plenty of space for Scanran warriors to sleep in. He walked arrogantly to the helm of the ship where the remainder of the force was clustered. They nervously parted out of his way because they knew it would be a big mistake to get him angry at them.   
  
"Through my spyglass I watched Squad 2 get decimated by a group of Tortallan women! They were cut down like a group of ninnies and dolts! Will you end in the same way they did?"  
  
"No sir!" They screamed in unison, desperate to avert his wrath. Since he couldn't take it out on Squad 2 he would probably get mad at the first person he could find fault with.   
  
"That's more like Scanran warriors!" he shouted earnestly. They cheered in response, chanting war cries. "Do you think we should take some revenge on those Tortallan women?" he asked them. They were far too caught up in the spirit of the moment to object. "Yes! Vengeance!" they chorused loudly.  
  
"Good. While they sleep we'll send out an elite command force. Who wishes to take part?"  
  
Every hand shot up speedily to try and win Maggur's favour. "Oh yes..." he added. "You must be a mage to battle those blasted Tortallan fools!" Most of the Scanrans on the ship were mages, so almost every hand remained up. Maggur chose thirty of the biggest, burliest and most powerful mages. He gave them their instructions on how to wreak magical havoc on the Queen's Rider Groups camped out on the shore. They would go over once they were sure the Tortallans were all asleep...  
  
~*~  
  
Thayet called all her riders to group around her after all the healing had been done. She congratulated them on their victory and they all said a joint prayer for those who had lived through the attack. Then she instructed them to unpack their things. They would continue riding down the coast the next day after a healthy rest to recuperate and go into the village they had saved from invasion.  
  
An hour later it was broad daylight but the riders were so exhausted they were all asleep anyway. The only people who were still awake were the handful of riders assigned to guard duty. They would be taking extra precautions after the surprise invasion. Suddenly, a silent explosion of crystal light blinded the sentries and shot straight into their eyes. Their eyes briefly flashed multi coloured fire before closing into a magically induced sleep no one could wake except the mage who had caused it. None of the sleepy sentries noticed a thread of creamy coloured fire slip around the camp forming a circle of magic.   
  
It was coming from the direction of the Scanran pirate ship anchored offshore. Thayet had assumed it was empty after they had killed all of the invaders. But she had assumed wrong.   
  
The cream coloured noose grew larger and larger until it formed a dome over the rider camp. It slipped under the ground and uprooted plants. This was all done in complete silence. It slowly faded away into invisibility, but the noose was still there slowly constricting on the camp.  
  
The sentries eyes flashed colour again before they exploded into nothingness. Their souls were yanked right out of their bodies into death before their awareness had realized what was happening. This was a new craft of black magic invented in the darkest Scanran caves and unknown to all of the Eastern lands. It used the power of the realms of the dead to draw a person there before their time was up.   
  
Then the dome flashed colour and slowly started shrinking in on itself. But where a rider's tent had rested there was nothing. Where a patch of blueberries had grown, there was nothing. Where a horse had grazed happily, there was nothing. The noose was strangling the very entity of everything. Everything was literally turning into nothing. The being, the essence, the atoms that had made up that person, animal, plant or anything that were there were being snuffed out like a candle. The grass on the ground, was gone. The rocks in the soil, were gone. Everything had just disappeared into thin air.   
  
But the Scanran mages on the ship were getting tired. This new magic required massive amounts of raw strength, energy and power to work. Their hold on the dome of death was slipping. But it was getting all the more powerful as it feasted on everything that was inside it. Riders, horses, trees and tents were all being consumed by the dome. Finally, it got too strong. The mages' bodies flew into the air with a flash of light and were sucked into the spinning dome just like the Riders had been. It had consumed them as well. This new magic was so strong it was very dangerous even to the person who first created the spell. When the last mage's mind was eaten the dome imploded.  
  
It became a vortex of swirling colour and matter. It was like a tornado ripping through the once quiet field where the riders had camped. Silent screams of the things that had once been something but were now nothing filled the air. As quickly as it started, the dome disappeared leaving the ground blackened and scarred. And most of all it left it empty.  
  
There was nothing. There would be nothing. There was something there before but no one would ever know. Thirty Scanran mages were now nothingness. So were 75 Queen's riders. So were 100 horses. So was Queen Thayet of Tortall. Were they dead? Not really. There were in Uusoae's kingdom as nothing, but they were an alive nothingness. Nevertheless, if they were nothing, they could never return to the realms of the living or the realms of things that were something. 


	4. Tyran Affairs

Betrayal  
Chapter 4 ~ Tyran Affairs  
  
There were strange rumours spreading through the streets of Tyra. Street urchins and pickpockets whispered about dangerous magic as they huddled together in the gutters, and wealthy merchants secretly worried about an attack as they warmed themselves in front of roaring fires in their safe townhouses. But were the rumours true? No one knew for sure.  
  
It all started when the Scanran warlord Maggur Rakhausak sailed his fine ships into the Tyran port with jewels, rums and silks from the Yamani Islands. Probably stolen or plundered from coastal villages, but that could be overlooked by wealthy and greedy traders. They let the Scanran in and after he arrived subtle changes started happening.   
  
Maggur visited Ulric, the King of Tyra and they discussed several boring topics of conversation over tea biscuits and coffee. Ulric was wary of Maggur because he had heard of how ruthless he was in battle and what a powerful warlord he was. Ulric didn't want to make Maggur an enemy of Tyra. Their country was so small and weak! Although they were rich, they could easily be taken in open warfare.   
  
So the last thing Ulric was expecting was for Maggur to offer Scanran troops for the Tyran king's command as a token of peace between their two nations. He readily agreed and accepted the troops without seriously considering the implications of the deal he had made. His end of the bargain was to help out Scanra in a time of need. It seemed like a small trivial thing, but who really knew what Maggur's definition of 'help' was?   
  
Little did Ulric know that powerful mages were stowed away in the hold of the Scanran's ship. They were very busy cooking up a powerful spell that had never been tried before. When it was finished it would slowly seep into the very ground beneath Tyra and enchant the whole country. It had been bewitched to head straight to the palace and target the King... The magic would make anyone possessed by it very calm, docile and agreeable. They would do anything you asked them to and would be completely under your power, without looking like minions who had no thought patterns of their own, which would give away that something was going on.  
  
The next day the mages finished their spell. They held hands and strengthened the bond of power between them. They called up magic and elementals from the earth and summoned a deep supply of powerful magic that they didn't know they had. They danced in a slow circle, getting faster and faster until they were whirling around the bubbling cauldron in a race against time. Slowly, an incandescent rainbow of power appeared from the rim of the cauldron. It bubbled and produced a heated humming noise. It formed into a broad dome and expanded outward until it was a huge bubble. Then it popped and exploded into the ground and headed beneath the Tyran king's feet.  
  
From that day on Ulric was completely under Maggur's sway. Maggur controlled Ulric's mind and forced him to change Tyran laws. Taxes were increased to make Maggur richer, enemies of Scanran were quietly murdered without a fuss to be made and an inquiry by the police group. Just little things. No one suspected anything until Maggur made a mistake.   
  
He made a big change, something that Ulric would never have done. He used Ulric to declare war on Tortall and then the rumours started flying. Nobles and merchants were a bit confused. Ulric had been acting completely out of character lately and he seemed odd. But they kept quiet and listened to the worsening reports that came out of the castle every day. People who spoke up about what was happening or voiced their opinions died mysteriously on foggy nights, a fate they didn't want to befall them.  
  
But one thing was for sure. The Tyran king was possessed and there was nothing anyone could do about it!  
  
~*~  
  
Lady Delia of Eldorne paced restlessly through her narrow, smelly and slimy cell. A cold rain drizzled over the desolate land and a purplish mist covered the green hills. If only she could escape this dismal and sorry excuse for a life. It would be better to have been executed than brought to this hellhole of a prison by the Tusaine border. The only pleasures she ever had were the occasional times when she was younger that she could use her beauty to seduce the guards and provide herself with a pleasurable experience.   
  
Now she was getting old, and she was just handsome not pretty. Years of bad conditions, bad food, treating her body wrong, melancholy moods and days of doing nothing but stare longingly out the window had rotted her beautiful body in a scarred old hag. She wasn't exactly old, but her breasts were saggy and lumpy, her posture was tired and crooked and her once beautiful skin was turned wrinkly and sallow. What life could she have outside this prison anyway?   
  
She was widely regareded as a traitor against Tortall, many thought she should have been executed instead of put in a heavily guarded prison. They claimed it was a waste of resources to feed, clothe and enslave her. She agreed with them. Stupid bastards.  
  
Just then there was a quick knock at her cell door. The guards had gotten so lenient they closed the door and left her to her own devices and let her choose whether she wanted to be bothered with them. Foolish idiots, Delia thought with a smile. I could have escaped a thousand times before, but I stayed because at least here I always know where my next meal will come from.  
  
She lazily got to her feet and took her time getting to the door. This made her guardians think she couldn't walk. They were very unobservant. When she looked into the corridor her eyes met with a terrified man named Francisco who was hired to make sure she didn't escape during the summer months.   
  
"Yes?" she asked coldly, her eyes icy.   
  
His face was contorted in pain, it was turning white. His hands scratched in vain at something invisible on his neck and he was quickly turning white. Several horrified shrieks escaped from his throat before he was silenced. This man was being killed by unseen hands.  
  
Slowly the man turned blue, then purple and his prostrate form dropped to the floor. A lustrous sparkle of moving colour filled the air and a tall man with a red beard appeared in Delia's doorway. It looked like the very particles of his being were being pulled out of thin air.   
  
Any person but Delia would have screamed and thrown themselves out of the first window they came to, so they could escape from this horror. Delia didn't. She exercised extreme self-control and hid her emotions and directed her icy gaze at this man instead. He looked Scanran to her... What could a tall, bearded Scaran who had an evil glint in his eye possibly want with her? A mystery! And Delia of Eldorne loved mysteries.  
  
"My name is Maggur Rakhausak and I have come to save you from this dismal place." He certainly didn't seem to waste any time getting to the point, Delia thought with an inward smirk.  
  
"I am a powerful sorcerer who can give you many things in exchange for you co-operation in several matters. If you help seed my diabolical plan, it will shake the very foundations of Tortall and throw this stupid country into turmoil that will last a century. I can promise you your youth back and many other things that can only be accomplished using magic."  
  
This man reminded Delia strongly of Roger. There was something wildly appealing about him, but maybe it was just that he was the first mildly attractive male she had seen in about twenty years. She decided whatever his earthshaking plan was, it must be better than what she spent her time doing now... But she wouldn't let him know the way she felt. She would worm some more information from him and extract a promise.  
  
"What makes you think I will go with you, mister Maggur?" she asked in a silky voice. "I am quite happy in prison" This sounded ludicrous but the fools disguised as guards believed it.   
  
"I know for a fact you are not. You detest living here but think there is nothing better available for you. You are waiting for a perfect chance to sow more evil and wrong over Tortall to get back at them for the wrongs they have done to you, but you haven't found a good opportunity. I won't waste time here trying to convince you. I have discovered terribly dangerous new kinds of magic and at this moment I have Tyra in my grasp and soon Tortall will be mine as well. I have already killed Thayet, that bitch of a queen. I can read your mind Delia and I know you want a promise. But Maggur Rauthasak does not give promises. I give orders. Come with me now!"  
  
Delia's mind was spinning quickly. Resistance would be futile. This man did seem to be a golden opportunity for her, but he was dangerous and he didn't seem to care about her all. And reading her thoughts... That was scary. If he knew exactly what she was thinking how could she trick him into getting her way like she had done with Roger?  
  
"I cannot be manipulated by the seductive charms you sluts use on men to gain power for yourselves. But I can see you have some capabilites that will be useful in my reign of terror."  
  
Delia was getting angrier by the second. If this man could see straight through her could others? Had she lost the ability to seduce men? But whatever was happening she couold see it wouldn't be wise to contradict this man. It would be worth a try to be pretend to be his lover anyway. Even if he didn't believe her, he might fall prey to erotic fantasies and sexual pleasures...  
  
"This sounds exciting!" she purred softly, her hands automatically reaching out to stroke his hair lovingly. She caressed him and pulled him closer to her. "There are also many things I have the power to give you..." 


	5. Grief And Love

Betrayal  
Chapter 4 ~ Grief and Love  
  
Jon was mad with grief, remorse, confusion, sorrow and panic. The entire group of Riders commanded by his wife, Thayet had disappeared into thin air outside a small seaside village a day's ride south of Pirate's Swoop. There weren't signs of a battle, no bodies, no horses, no tents, there was nothing! The only thing scouts had found were signs of a terrible fire that wasn't quite possible. There didn't seem to be a possible explanation so they would have to turn to the impossible. Was it possible that whoever had done this to his wife and the 74 riders might have burned the bodies? Or did Thayet and her riders just go off into hill country without telling anyone?  
  
Jon knew that Thayet was gone forever. He didn't get the distinct feeling that she was dead, just gone. In fact he didn't feel anything. His sixth sense felt absolutely nothing.  
  
Jon had made sure every group of men who could ride a horse were looking for Thayet. They had scoured the country clean. They had vanished without a trace. Numair Salmalin had been sent to examine the area that looked like it had experienced a fire after there were reports that a village girl had been "sucked into it" after she was out walking.  
  
Any other time Jon would have dismissed these claims as crazy and impossible but after his wife's disappearance he was reday to chase after any possible lead there might be. He had been comforted by his 5 children, Kalasin, Lianne, Roald, Liam and Jasson, but it wasn't the same as Thayet's gentle and loving touch...  
  
Jon sobbed out loud. He must keep his emotions hidden, he must be strong like the Yamanis and be a courageous leader of Tortall in these horrible times... But it was so hard! Losing his wife to who knows what... That was what bothered Jon. She hadn't been killed by raiders, she hadn't drowned, she hadn't had a terrible disease forever. She just completely disappeared out of the blue. Which was not something Thayet was prone to doing. Jon knew that someone or something had done something terrible to her.   
  
Tortall hadn't recieved any other threats or declarations except for the scroll from Tyra. Which reminded him. After another week of searching for Thayet he would have to give up. Once the Riders and King's Own were finished he'd send half of them to the Tyran border. The other half would guard Tortall and the Scanran border. Jon knew that that was the right thing to do, keep Tortall safe but it was ever so hard and painful to let go of Thayet. He loved her more than anything, and if he stopped looking for her... Then it would mean that he didn't care about her and love her more than anything in the world. But Jon did love her! Thayet would want him to get on with something important for the country.  
  
But it would still be hard to let go. And he knew that after three weeks of a fruitless search for clues it would be the good thing to do to use the troops better. After all, he wanted to make sure this never happened again in Tortall... Ever.  
  
~*~  
  
But three more weeks passed and Thayet had still not been found. Jon refused to give up hope even though he felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. He refused to have her funeral until her body was found. Officially, the position of the court was that Thayet was missing. Jon wouldn't admit that she was dead, but he had called off the search parties. He had sent another group to check up on things down south.  
  
~*~  
  
Right now 500 King's Own were riding as fast as they could though the great southern desert to the border Tortall shared with Tyra. It was the dry season and water would be scarce in the barren, dusty part of Tortall but weeks would be taken off the trip by cutting across the desert instead of skirting it and taking the coastal route like Thayet had.  
  
Knight Commander of the King's Own, Sir Raoul of Malories Peak and Goldenlake led his men on the quickest way possible. They trotted the horses as fast as they dared and had long nights at the saddle before they camped out and left before dusk the next day. Riding at night saved the horses form heat stroke and exhaustion that surely owuld have happened if they galloped across a desert in the relentless midday sun.   
  
They were camped outside Persopolis now. They had bought food and goods from the Bahzir residents of the city and watered down their mounts after a long trek. But they were only halfway there. Their next stop was Tyra.   
  
Raoul was conferring with Buriram Tourakom, the commander of the Queen's Riders. The company was mostly King's Own but Buri had brought two squads of the riders to add to the ten regiments of the Own as they were affectionately called by most Tortallans. They were arguing about what they should do once they approached Tyra.  
  
"We don't even have any proof that they were serious" Raoul said loudly. "We just got a war message out of the blue and nothing's happened since. How do we know that we might not be able to walk in and have peace talks instead of a war?"  
  
"Raoul!" Buri said, exasperated. "Queen Thayet and 75 Riders disappeared mysteriously while she was on her way to do what we're doing now! And that was the day after we recieved a declaration of war! This is very real danger we're talking about here! In fact, it's highly likely that we'll be a target! After all, We are a large force come to see what's going on. We have to be very cautious about what's going to happen. We could ride up to their walled capital and suddenly be shot down by hidden archers. Or whisked away by some new kind of magic like what must have happened to Thayet!"  
  
"I understand your point, but doesn't this all seem weird to you? Tyra is one tenth the size of Tortall and they have a miniscule army that doesn't do anything except patrol their country. Why would they challenge us, especially after our campaigns have been having astounding success in Scanra? Tyra is mostly marsh! Their livelihoods are fishing and all the bountiful merchant caravans from Maren, Tusaine, Carthak and Tortall. Why do they care about us? If we attacked them, they'd lose!" Raoul countered.  
  
"That's my point!" Buri said trying with all her might to remain calm when Raoul talked such nonsense. In a way she was like Alanna, never backing down. "If they're attacking us, then they must have something new and dangerous otherwise they'd be afraid of us! It must be some sort of magic. Or maybe they're allied with a powerful nation now?"  
  
"I suppose you're right" Raoul agreed. "So what will we do?"  
  
"Well, for one thing, make sure we're perfectly organized. I think we can leave that to our lesser officials to do" Buri replied, glad Raoul had finally come to understand her point. She smiled inwardly. She was great at convincing people of things.  
  
"Well in the meantime, if you have some time to kill, I have an idea of how we could spend it." Raoul said warmly with a twinkly sparkle in his eye.   
  
Buri pretended to be angry and shocked. "I should slap you for being so forward with one of your fellow officers!" Her face softened into a grin. "But I'll let it go, this time!"   
  
After giving the orders to the other officers in command they settled down for the night. And they got to know each other a lot better than they did before.  
  
~*~  
  
There was an air of uncertainty about the men and women in the Tortallan army. No one was sure who to trust or what was going on. But when they arrived on the southern coast half a day's ride away from Tyra, everyone knew that very soon, they would have answers to their questions... 


	6. Deadly Plans

Betrayal  
Chapter 9 ~ Deadly Plans  
  
I think I've given up on reviewers. Buri might be OOC. Thank-you to Porell and timorene. Written 12/27/01. A long chapter!  
~*~  
  
Buri and Raoul woke up in each others' arms. Buri smiled at Raoul and tousled his hair lovingly. Last night they had stayed up late and talked about their lives. Talked about the loneliness of being a military commander when you could never have a serious relationship, your sense of duty to Tortall and all the times in their lives when they just wanted to have someone to talk to. They had both learned a lot about each other.  
  
But Buri still had a sense of honour and she knew it would be embarassing if one of the new recruits found her like this. She peeled the blankets off her petite body and tiptoed softly to her pack which held all her belongings. She dressed quietly and left the tent cautiously checking to make sure no one was watching her. The camp was deserted. It appeared her riders wanted to get as much sleep as possible before they rode into battle. She didn't blame them.  
  
Buri lit a small fire and boiled some water for her breakfast tea. Since trying the beverage a few months ago, she had discovered it calmed her and cleared her thoughts.  
  
Raoul exited the tent soon after she had left. Apparently she wasn't as quiet as she liked to think. But on the other hand, Raoul had the ears and eyes of a hawk - that's why he was a knight commander.  
  
"Good morning, Buriram," he said cheerfully with a false sense of professionalism. "It's shaping up to a beautiful day isn't it?"  
  
Buri looked glum. How could he joke around at a time like this. But with a sigh she realized that was the way Raoul acted. Always trying to make things bright, even when dark storm clouds lay poised to attack in the near future. "You do realize today is the big day do you not?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course I do. That's why I'm trying to stay optimistic even when I'm quite worried." At those words Buri wanted to reach out and hug him. But she didn't because one of the lesser officials was walking quickly over with a stern look on her face.  
  
"Commander?" she asked coldly, her visage a mask of stone that refused to crack.   
  
"Yes, that would be me." Buri answered trying to smile at this grumpy woman.  
  
"Our scouts just reported the sighting of a dust cloud on the desert. It's fast approaching us and it appears to be a woman dressed in armour on a mare. Should we shoot?"  
  
Buri chuckled. "Are you new to the riders miss?"  
  
The woman stiffened instantly. "Well, yes, I was recruited last month. Is there a problem with that?"   
  
"Oh no, there's no problem. But I think I know who our mysterious guest is. Make sure the guards give her a warm welcoming and escort her to my tent."  
  
The woman nodded brittly and stomped off.   
  
"It looks like Alanna has decided to pay us a visit. Maybe she thinks we can't take care of ourselves in a war against Tyra?" Raoul asked.  
  
"Or maybe she has grave news about a formidable opponent?" Buri said.  
  
"You're so pessismistic!" Raoul said. "You should look at the bright side!"  
  
"Raoul, one of these days you are going to have a rude awakening when you're too trusting and you get betrayed," Buri said darkly. "It will be sad to see your innocence destroyed." She gazed off eastwards toward Sarain thinking of the land she had once called home. But she would never go back. They had turned their back on her and committed the ultimate betrayal.  
  
~*~  
  
Maggur and Delia sat on a huge warhorse and galloped through the gates of Tyra into the walled city. They reckless cruised down the middle of the streets forcing vendors hawking their wares and large wagons carrying goods to get out of the way quickly.   
  
"We're almost there." Maggur said with a cackle. "Then you can meet my good friend Ulric of Tyra. We have what you might call a special bond."  
  
Delia fumed silently, her thoughts racing. This man was obviously quite mad and intent on defeating Tortall in war. True, it was what she wanted as well, but he seemed to have an odd way of going about it. Why choose a tiny merchant nation to declare war on a juggernaut like Tortall? He would surely lose. And then she could pursue her own agenda. She was getting even angrier when her charms and flirtatious manners had no effect on him. How he could he resist her? Maybe she really was truly ugly.  
  
"Oh don't you worry about that, miss." Maggur said, laughing evilly.   
  
"Worry about what?" Delia asked. Surely he hadn't just read her mind again? It was silly and impossible... Yet everything about him seemed odd, he might be able to do it.  
  
"Yes if you're wondering about it, I can read your thoughts. It's a new type of magic my trusted mages cooked up. You're ugly now, but I wouldn't fret. My mages and I also have ways of reversing the signs of aging."  
  
Delia shut up after that and tried not to think about anything. This was going to be difficult. She forced her mind to run completely blank and banished thoughts from her head.  
  
Because of Maggur's insane riding they reached the Tyran palace in no time at all. It really wasn't much of a palace, Delia thought amusedly. It was more like a manor. Tyra was such a stupid country.  
  
"It may be stupid, but not when you combine it with the power of Scanra. When you take our advancec magic and add Tyra's money and economic power you get a worthy opponent to Carthak and Tortall put together."  
  
Delia mulled this over in her mind. If what the man said about his magic was true then it was possible to defeat Tortall. But he would need a good plan. Tortall had talented and brave knights who thought up clever and sneaky plans.   
  
"Oh don't you worry about our battle tactics, my sweet. They're definitely in good hands. Those blasted Tortallans won't know what hit them."  
  
Good. If he called her 'my sweet' it meant she was finally getting to him. Maggur decided to let her think this. She was a treasonous little slut, but she would definitely be useful if it was true she had once been King Jonathan's lover.  
  
The gates of the manor opened wide to admit them and they jumped off and let a hostler stable the horse. They climbed the marble steps in the entrance room and were guided by expressionless courtiers to King Ulric's private chambers.   
  
"Good afternoon my dear friend! It is nice to see you again. Are you ready to unleash your forces upon the King's Own and the Queen's Riders today in the afternoon? A dust cloud has been sighted close by and our sentries have confirmed that it's them and they are prepared for battle."  
  
"Oh yes, Ulric. Soon Tyra and Scanra will stand united and control all the powers of the lands. Tortall will soon be wiped off the map."  
  
Delia watched the exchange silently. She knew Maggur could hear her thoughts somehow or other, but it didn't seem to matter what she thought. He didn't care what she gathered from the situation. Or at least that's what he wanted her to believe. She better not make any slip-ups that would give him an excuse to be rid of her. How had he got the Tyran king to agree to this? It was absurd, although amusing to watch. Perhaps the Tyran king hadn't agreed. Maybe he just played along so Maggur wouldn't decimate his pathetic country.  
  
"Are the war machines ready? And do the mages have the exploding weaponry at the walls ready to use?"  
  
"Everything is as you asked, my lord." Ulric bowed low to the floor and grovelled befoe Maggur.  
  
Something was definitely up. A king bowing to a self-declared warlord? Perhaps Maggur could control people's thoughts as well as listen to them. Delia felt a shiver of fear suddenly ripple through her body.  
  
"Excellent. Ready the troops for battle. When the Tortallans approach they will ride out to meet them."  
  
"As you wish." Ulric left the chambers leaving Maggur free to enjoy the comfortable furniture or the decadent food left there on crystal platters. Delia knew she was hungry. She grabbed a fat apple and tore into it hungrily.  
  
Maggur nodded at her approvingly. "That's exactly what our forces will do to Tortall. Eat them alive!" He laughed and relaxed on a plush loveseat.  
  
"Your part to play will come very soon. After we win the battle you will have some detailed instructions from me to follow. Understand?"  
  
Delia almost choked on her apple but managed to nod meekly. Was this horrid beast just going to use her as a servant?  
  
"Oh no. You will be waited on by servants, but I won't force you to become one. You have a higher place. Would you enjoy taking the place as my mistress?"  
  
"I thought you'd never ask!" Delia stalked over and sat down beside him stroking his head.  
  
"Not so fast!" Maggur cried out. "You're an ugly hag. I'll get one of my mages to use some beautifying magic on you immediately."  
  
Delia nodded. "Perfect. I will be my pretty inner self on the outside as well!"  
  
Maggur chuckled. "Whatever you say." 


End file.
